Past paper analysis (2012-2021): Unravelling the CSS Essay “Syllabus”.

Part 1: Politics, Ideology and Democracy

(Populism, Secularism, Fascism, Islamophobia, Democracy, Governance)
1. Pakistan’s internal dynamics/Democracy
1. Democracy is a culture rather than a process (2012)
2. Not economy but politics is a key to success. (2013)
3. Govt Should eliminate subsidies and incentives for manufacturers and
consumers of electric cars as they are costly and do not do enough to protect
environment. (2015)
4. Crisis of good governance in Pakistan: need for reforms and institution building.
(2016)
5. Promotion of Tax culture in Pakistan: perspective, prospects and challenges.
(2016)
6. The creation of New province in Pakistan: implications far an integrated country.
(2016)
7. Bureaucracy doldrums. (2021)
8. Pakistan and the future of Kashmir cause. (2020)
9. Polarized politics: the issues and challenges of democracy in Pakistan. (2020)
10. Global power dynamics and Pakistan's foreign policy. (2020)
11. Promoting tourism in Pakistan: opportunities and challenges. (2020)
12. Will the "Rule of Law" always remain an impracticable myth in our country?
(2018)
13. Democracy in Pakistan: Hopes and Hurdles. (2018)

2. East vs West Debate/Religion

1. Post-modern ethos - a challenge to the west. (2014)
2. Look to the east for a holistic progress. (2014)
3. Let there be more light at the corridors of worship places. (2019)- philosophy
3. Energy/Water
1. Energy Crisis in Pakistan: Causes and Consequences. (2012)
2. Water crisis and national unity. (2016)
Part 2: Economy, Development, Climate change
(Capitalism and Neo-liberalism, Inequality, human development, human rights, IMF and the
developing world, Climate change)
4. United Nations
1. The United Nations in the 21st Century: Obligations and Limitations. (2012)
5. Economy
1. Does foreign aid help to achieve economic stability. (2016)
Civil Services Preparatory School (CSPs)- Sarah Khalil (OMG) CSS’2021
 2. IMF bailouts: roads to stability or recipes for disaster. (2020)
3. Pakistan's informal economy: the way forward. (2020)
4. New war fronts lie in the economic zones. (2019)
6. Global Warming/Climate
1. The threat global warming and the ways to counter it. (2018)
7. War/Abuse of Human Rights
1. Great nations win without fighting. (2014)
2. Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. (2014)
3. The War on terror has contributed to the growing abuse of human rights.
(2015)
4. Intercultural communication is panacea to avoid 3rd world war. (2021)
5. Being a minority is a fate no one wants, can nationalism be really inclusive
(2017)
6. Ideologies thrive on the notion of resistance, yet change is a simulation
(2017)
7. Are modern wars not Holy wars? (2017)
8. Universal human equality is utopic. (2021)
9. In the fight against terrorism and corruption, it is imperative not to
compromise human rights and civil liberties. (2018)
10. Real development should transform people's lives, not just economic
statistics. (2018)
8. Globalization
1. World as a global village: learning to live together. (2016)
2. Pros and cons of globalization. (2021)
Part 3: Education, Science and Literature
9. Education
1. A Critical Analysis of Education Systems in Pakistan. (2012)
2. There should be colleges and schools just for men/boys and some just for
women/girls. (2013)- Gender
3. Meaning and purpose of education. (2013)

Civil Services Preparatory School (CSPs)- Sarah Khalil (OMG) CSS’2021

 4. Privatizing higher education-generating knowledge or making more money for
the opulent. (2014)
5. Meaning purposive education. (2021)
6. Women universities as agents of change. (2020)- Women
7. Is colonial legacy impeding Pakistan's progress? (2017)
8. Higher education in Pakistan: ills and remedies. (2018)
9. Classrooms decide the future of the nation. (2019)
10. Democracy and illiteracy don’t move together. (2019)

10. Philosophical/Literature
1. Beggars cannot be choosers. (2012)
2. Brains like hearts go where they are appreciated. (2012)
3. Let me take care of today, tomorrow shall take care of itself. (2013)
4. If gold rust what shall the iron do. (2013)
5. Literature as a great cultural artifact. (2014)
6. Can meaning be fixed? (2014)
7. The character of a nation can be judged by its symbolic narratives. (2014)
8. Anticipation is often greater than realization. (2015)
9. Punctuality is virtue of bored. (2015)
10. I disapprove what you say, but I defend to death your right to say. (2015)
11. Luxury predecessors becomes the necessity of successors. (2015)
12. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. (2015)
13. We have to learn to be our own best friend, because we fall top easily into the
trap of being our own worst enemies. (2016)
14. Frailty, thy name is women. (2016) – Women
15. Life without controversy is no life, but why one should not choose the save
haven of conformism? (2017)
16. Literature is a lonely planet for idealists. (2017)
17. “I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed”. (2021)
18. I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right
to say it. (2020)
19. Sometimes we do not see, what we see. (2019)
20. Urdu literature and progressive movements. (2019)
21. Art for Peace. (2019)
22. Truth is lived, not taught. (2019)
23. Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. (2018)
24. Beware the barrenness of a busy life! (2018)
25. Modernity is an unending process (2017)- Philosophy

11. Science/Technology
1. The suffering Soul in the Scientific Age. (2012)- philosophy/literature

Civil Services Preparatory School (CSPs)- Sarah Khalil (OMG) CSS’2021

 2. The introduction of new digital technologies has radically altered identities.
(2015)- philosophy/literature
3. Labor saving devices are more troublesome than they worth. (2015)
4. Human inventions move the societies backward. (2021)-Philosophy/Literature
5. Is Pakistan ready for digital revolution? (2020)
6. Expanding information technology; a curse or blessing. (2019)

12. The Language debate

1. Language is a fit data for research in humanities and social science. (2014)
2. The place of Urdu in Pakistan and supreme court's ruling on making Urdu the
official language of the country. (2016)
Part 4: Feminism, social movements and media
13. Women/Gender
1. Social and Economic Securities for Women in Islam. (2012)
2. The traditional male role changed in the last 20 years. (2013)
3. Gender equality is a myth. (2013)
4. Women sportspersons are new ambassadors of the soft image of Pakistan.
(2014)
5. Gender equality is a myth. (2016)
6. Feminism is not really a third world issue. (2017)
7. Gender equality: A popular slogan. (2021)
8. New waves of feminism and our culture. (2019)

14. Media/social media

1. The Emerging Power of Public Opinion. (2012)- Democracy
2. Free speech should have limitations. (2013)
3. The emerging power of social media: prospects and problems. (2018)
Part 5: Current Affairs
15. Contemporary/Current Affairs
1. Brexit means globalization is the rhetoric of the privileged and capitalism will
return ferociously as ever (2017)
2. China – Pakistan economic Corridor (CPEC) and it's socio-economic implications
for the region and the world. (2018)
3. COVID-19: A wake up call for Pakistani researchers. (2021)

16. Miscellaneous
1. Obesity is the root cause of all disease. (2012)
2. Country life is better than city life. (2013)- philosophical angle.
3. In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to is level of incompetence. (2015)

Civil Services Preparatory School (CSPs)- Sarah Khalil (OMG) CSS’2021